New Hardcore Features

[AimBotHax]

I created this topic in response to this question brought up at Blizzcon '09.

Q: Adding any additional features that Hardcore players alone would have?
A: We do want Hardcore. It’s the only way to play right? In terms of additional features, we don’t have anything specific planned right now, but we’re open to ideas so hit the forums and share your ideas.

So I'll start off with 2 features I'd like to see:

=========== Feature 1 ==============

I thought the imbue quest (Charsi) from Diablo 2 was a good concept. However, with some modifications I think you could make it into an interesting hardcore only quest.

The “Quest”

Only available in harder difficulties and appears at random (it would be a somewhat low chance). The quest would be to fight a pack of extremely hard elite monsters or complete a hard quest.

Result

The quest giver will imbue anyone of your items (Yes! this includes unique) with random rare modifiers. This will give unique items a personalized feel and make them standout among other top-end gear.

Softcore Players

The imbue type quest could still be accessible to softcore players, but it would be much rarer and instead you would only be allowed to imbue items below unique quality.

Personally I like the concept of a hardcore only quest, but make this a really challenging quest.


============== Feature 2 =============


This one comes from Risingred on the Diablo 3 Battle.net forums.

" I think it would be neat if the items you drop when you died in HC were permanently personalized with your name on it like the Act V quest. "


I really like both of these features, what do you guys think? What other features would you want?

[Darkflight]

I created this topic in response to this question brought up at Blizzcon '09.

Q: Adding any additional features that Hardcore players alone would have?
A: We do want Hardcore. It’s the only way to play right? In terms of additional features, we don’t have anything specific planned right now, but we’re open to ideas so hit the forums and share your ideas.

So I'll start off with 2 features I'd like to see:

=========== Feature 1 ==============

I thought the imbue quest (Charsi) from Diablo 2 was a good concept. However, with some modifications I think you could make it into an interesting hardcore only quest.

The “Quest”

Only available in harder difficulties and appears at random (it would be a somewhat low chance). The quest would be to fight a pack of extremely hard elite monsters or complete a hard quest.

Result

The quest giver will imbue anyone of your items (Yes! this includes unique) with random rare modifiers. This will give unique items a personalized feel and make them standout among other top-end gear.

Softcore Players

The imbue type quest could still be accessible to softcore players, but it would be much rarer and instead you would only be allowed to imbue items below unique quality.

Personally I like the concept of a hardcore only quest, but make this a really challenging quest.


============== Feature 2 =============


This one comes from Risingred on the Diablo 3 Battle.net forums.

" I think it would be neat if the items you drop when you died in HC were permanently personalized with your name on it like the Act V quest. "


I really like both of these features, what do you guys think? What other features would you want?

The first one is basically rewarding you for playing hardcore by making your gear better, and I seriously dislike it.

The second one is an AWESOME idea though. That would be totally epic if there was no other way of personalizing your name onto gear.

[pank]

Something I think that might inspire some more PvPing for hardcore players would be that upon death your body remains along with all of your gear(seeing as how you no longer have any use for it) being able to be picked up by the player who has killed you. This of course would be for hardcore only since it would be way too serious of a repercussion for softcore. Thoughts?

[MoUsE_WiZ]

Something I think that might inspire some more PvPing for hardcore players would be that upon death your body remains along with all of your gear(seeing as how you no longer have any use for it) being able to be picked up by the player who has killed you. This of course would be for hardcore only since it would be way too serious of a repercussion for softcore. Thoughts?
The option for this is in D2. It is very rarely used because people like to hold onto their gear more than they like risking it in an opportunity to win more. They're crazy, I know, but never the less I suspect that forcing loot duels would do more to discourage PvP than encourage it.



The personalizing looted items idea sounds kind of neat, but what happens when a looted item is looted a second time? I see 3 obvious possibilities:
-annoyingly long item names with many names attached to create sentences via suicide >:-)
-consistent overwriting of the old name with the newly deceased's name
-first name is the only name

I'd prefer the first option both for the sake of sillyness and also for the sake of knowing an item's history, but if we saw the idea implemented I think they'd go with #3. Kind of boring but oh well... #2 kind of takes the personalization out of personalization.




And yeah, giving HC players extra items (no matter how difficult they are to acquire) defeats the purpose of playing the mode that is supposed to be harder. I'd prefer having less items than SC, not more.

[sneakytails]

Also a few extra art tidbits could be nice, We already have different color names and character stances when not in game in D2.

I have always imagined my characters having a little more scratches, dents and wear in their gear. They are in this to win so they fight like it, and their gear shows it. It fits the idea of hardcore.

Actually hardcore already has things that softcore does not, thus making the argument that hardcore cannot have anything extra kind of weak. Its already a precedent from d2lod.

The gap gets even bigger between SP and BNET with ladders, items that for a long time were un-available to SP, and special rune words that were also un-available to SP for a period of years. I am positive that this will continue in D3 especially with the focus on the new BNET. The gap will grow even larger.

So I am for more stuff for hardcore as it already exists in d2. Might as well take it to the next level in D3. Art is a good place to start that is logical and can be tied to the UI which blizzard has repeatedly stated will be a important element.

The deeds screen, the character in robes graphic, the character stance, name coloration. This might not seem like much but it is indeed exclusive content. The precedent is there, its hard to argue against it now. Might as well roll with it.

[raveharu]

PvP/PK should be disabled for normal games.

You have to create a game specifically for PvP, and death for PvP will not result in character loss, but there will be other penalties(random loss of equipment, EXP, gold etc etc).

[KingOfKings]

PvP/PK should be disabled for normal games.

You have to create a game specifically for PvP, and death for PvP will not result in character loss, but there will be other penalties(random loss of equipment, EXP, gold etc etc).

already exists - its called softcore.

[raveharu]

already exists - its called softcore.

Exactly, and why should PvP in hardcore be different from softcore?

What matters is the gameplay, PvP should never have been an issue in HC in the first place.

[KingOfKings]

Exactly, and why should PvP in hardcore be different from softcore?

What matters is the gameplay, PvP should never have been an issue in HC in the first place.

because, the thing that sets hardcore apart from softcore, is that we accept action has consequence and reward.

we love the fact of PERMANENTLY ending a characters life.

we VALUE ears, not leave them strewn all over bloodmoor.

our ladders and communities are mould and set by duels and pks. the fact that you can be a force to be reckoned with on your server is what sets you apart from the rest.

duelling sets respect for players in the community - duellers or pks.

there is no real respect other than "gg gf" in softcore.

(i speak only for classic, since both lod modes are extremely ****e and are of no difference to each other.) in classic, you remain a mortal. in lod its like an amphi-theatre of gods.

hope that helped ^_^

[arodriq]

1) I would like a dueling system similar to WoW where you can initiate a duel with someone which would not lead to death. Whoever drops to 1 hp first drops to their knees, admits defeat. Perhaps there could even be wagers set where the winner automatically gets x amount of gold from the loser.

2) I would like a fight to the death system of some sort. X amount of players enter an area, the doors close, you cannot leave the area or exit the game until all of your opponents are dead...or until you die. Naturally something would have to be worked in where if you're in this area and you Alt-F4, your character freezes for some amount of time which would lead to your death anyway (just an example).

This way if you just want to match your skill/char against a friend, there's a way. Or if you want to have a real duel, you can without having to deal with people town hugging or such.

Edit: I'll add that I would still like 'regular' pvp rules to apply as well. Where, if I hostile someone I can go find them and fight them. Some more checks and balances than in D2 would be a plus though.

[KingOfKings]

1) I would like a dueling system similar to WoW where you can initiate a duel with someone which would not lead to death. Whoever drops to 1 hp first drops to their knees, admits defeat. Perhaps there could even be wagers set where the winner automatically gets x amount of gold from the loser..

youre a shame to real hardcore players. despite your edit, i couldnt find any respect for you at all. go play softcore.

[Kromp]

youre a shame to real hardcore players. despite your edit, i couldnt find any respect for you at all. go play softcore.

Congratulations on completely losing your grip on reality.

[Rashiminos]

Duels are traditionally done to the death. Any HC player who refuses a HC duel for fear o' death will be henceforth be referred to as a coward not worthy of associating with us ladies and gentlemen.

Friendly competition on the other hand...

[PReP]

Let's use some shocking logic here (to enlighten some)

Normal Play:
Vs Monster --> no death
Vs Players --> no death

Hardcore:
Vs Monster --> to death
Vs Players --> to death

I believe this is the most expected, logical and sensible sorting of the "modes", whereas pvp is a part of the game, not a different game-mode in itself.
Some suggestions here make me quite baffled to say the least.

[Kromp]

Right, players in Hardcore shouldn't have the option of practicing their PvP skills before getting murdered. Because in real life nobody gets to practice. Right?? Right.

[PReP]

Right, players in Hardcore shouldn't have the option of practicing their PvP skills before getting murdered. Because in real life nobody gets to practice. Right?? Right.

Because that is not why there would be both a normal and a hardcore mode-option, as it were in diablo 2?! *lizard throws a sarcasm-counter*

[teh_Thrasher]

on zing! haha.
i dont think there should be an option to loot bodies. they should just explode with the items upon death (in duels and pk circumstances) the person killed u they should be able to peruse ur items without having to ask permission first right? there shouldnt be a problem with ttpk so if u stick around while someone is hostile ur obviously agreeing to the fight right?

i would like to see a list to show characters killed... for everyone to see. cause holding on to a bunch of ears takes up space =\. the personalization of items upon death seemed almost good. i dont think it should say the characters name in the item name but as a footnote. "previously wielded by soandso" or something comical like "pried from the lifeless fingers of soandso"

hc duels should be 1v1 to the death; if someone bails, their items should just fall off their body... they LIVE but their items are the cost for their cowardice life.

leave the rumble pit idea for sc pvp.

[delosombres]

What about a slightly better chance to find magic items or experience bonuses? I would like something (even very small) that gives me a motivation to play hardcore (something like double XP bonus in Fallout Tactics on Tough Guy mode where you can not save during missions - otherwise i would never play that mode). Just the feel of "being the man" in a computer game and then die in a lag after month of playing is not a reason to play for me.

[MoUsE_WiZ]

Just the feel of "being the man" in a computer game and then die in a lag after month of playing is not a reason to play for me.

Then HC is not for you.

Giving bonuses to HC players that actively make the game easier results in defeating the point - at least partially - of playing more difficult mode to begin with.

[ill logic]

1. Should be unable to pay gold to revive hirelings when they die; one life, that's it. How far does your hardcoreness go exactly? ;)

2. It would be cool if the game recorded your final moments so you could reminisce fondly or play it for your friends ("Dude, I could see you were really screwed there!"). What are the chances of this, eh?

3. Additional aesthetic bonuses: besides the red name, aggressive posture, and titles, there could special crafting recipes serving only to alter the color of Twitchthroes, Shakos, and what have you. Also, should be able to name your own hireling, who upon your death, should scream in anger and go berserk on the ones who slayed you rather than just keeling over...then again, he could just run off happy for his freedom. Ya know. Whatever. That's fine.

4. Additional/Modified in-town conversations where townsfolk hold you in even higher reverence, or are more mocking or dismissive ala Gheed, for your achievements bc it's HC.

Btw I like those two ideas of having personalized loot upon death, preferably with the 1st name attached, and having a list of players you killed (which may be shown to others) rather than ears.

[RattleHead]

Let's use some shocking logic here (to enlighten some)

Normal Play:
Vs Monster --> no death
Vs Players --> no death

Hardcore:
Vs Monster --> to death
Vs Players --> to death

I believe this is the most expected, logical and sensible sorting of the "modes", whereas pvp is a part of the game, not a different game-mode in itself.
Some suggestions here make me quite baffled to say the least.

I'm baffled as well by some of the responses here. HC is one life. Period. The end. Doesn't matter who or what you die to. If you die, you did something wrong.

The "rules" PReP posted above is how it should be. You always have the option to play SC. You can't change the HC rules so you can swing your epeen around saying you play HC and not be willing to accept all the consequences that come with it.

The little WoW kiddies asking for changes here are too used to having something handed to them, instead of having something taken away from them. You can call out people like KingOfKings and others, but at least they understand what HC is all about, and I back them up 100%.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If losing a HC character doesn't inspire you to make another and get further than the last one, then perhaps HC isn't for you. Don't try to change the rules for those of us who enjoy real HC.

[delosombres]

Then HC is not for you.

Giving bonuses to HC players that actively make the game easier results in defeating the point - at least partially - of playing more difficult mode to begin with.

You still have one life. The game is still more difficult. You probably forgot that. It is all about motivation to play that obviously still more difficult game. Slight XP or item find bonus has no effect on the fact that i still have one life. It does make the game more interesting to play rather than easier.

[Yooq]

1. Should be unable to pay gold to revive hirelings when they die; one life, that's it. How far does your hardcoreness go exactly? ;)

2. It would be cool if the game recorded your final moments so you could reminisce fondly or play it for your friends ("Dude, I could see you were really screwed there!"). What are the chances of this, eh?

I really like these two ideas, even mercenaries should have one life, and for example, if your Act 2 merc "Hazan" dies, you could never hire another Hazan, but you can hire other mercenaries. If all your mercs die though, then no more mercenaries available for you. Also, the items that merc was wearing would be lost. This would require some settings on the acting way of the merc though, you should be able to command him to stay close to you, defensive, aggressive, avoiding or neutral etc.

The second one is cool, though it would just require too much work keep up a system that records every player's move on the battle.net. This should be abandoned.


4. Additional/Modified in-town conversations where townsfolk hold you in even higher reverence, or are more mocking or dismissive ala Gheed, for your achievements bc it's HC.

This idea is really cool, would require slightly more work from the voice actors, but it would really pay off. HC players should feel more honored IMO


Also, I really like the idea of a character having a list of his/her other players killed. And in case of death, the items worn at the moment would be dropped to the ground with a permament perzonalization, without any change to it if another player wears it and then dies.


One cool idea I though of, that a character could have some kind of a bounty on him, which increases by how many characters you have killed and how high level you are. The higher level and more characters killed = higher bounty. For example, if someone's bounty was 1M gold, then even if he didn't have that money, the money would drop upon his death, only available to the one who killed him. The problem would be though, that if gold is still pretty much useless in D3 as it is in D2, then this idea is pretty dull.

[MoUsE_WiZ]

You still have one life. The game is still more difficult. You probably forgot that. It is all about motivation to play that obviously still more difficult game. Slight XP or item find bonus has no effect on the fact that i still have one life. It does make the game more interesting to play rather than easier.
It doesn't make the game more interesting, it makes it easier.
Maybe you're bad at HC. A lot of us aren't. People figure out the game mechanics and then never die, ever. If HC players got more of a bonus people looking for extra challenge would have to go back to SC and play by HC rules to get it, which is obviously a stupidly counter intuitive notion.

If anything I want hardercore. Less items and exp!

[IhatePindle]

If anything I want hardercore

funny.

this is a new suggestion to blizzard, make hardcore, and make hardercore.

[Tai.]

Alright first let me state that I started the previous thread on this topic so I was not initially opposed to HC only rewards.

That said, I have to agree with Mouse now. Unless there is a RIDICULOUS difficulty upgrade in D3 you can assume people will be running HC just as well as SC in the near future. The last 3 ladder resets teams on USEast Hardcore have beaten the game before their softcore compatriots and have reached higher levels faster, the last thing we need is an event (no matter how unlikely) that will make it even easier for us.

We play HC for the risk and the feeling of personal satisfaction, (with some people this turns to arrogance, but that's for another discussion) if you offer "HC-only" gear you'll simply be drawing more people to our community who do not share the true hardcore mentality.

Beyond this, when you can run a ladder reset team with 11 people (including a sorceress whose only job is to spam Static Field at close range and trust her teammates and connection to protect her) and be the highest level group on any realm when you beat Hell without losing a character all of these arguments about increased difficulty become a bit of a joke. Yes, tomb vipers and the Ubers claimed a lot of lives until the system was discovered - primarily on SC - but once the community knew how to prepare for them they became a joke. I have personally seen untwinked teams kill DClone and Ubers without muling or losing a character. Give gamers enough time and anything can become mundane.

This of course does not discuss the issue of hacks in D3. I sincerely hope that Blizzard can regulate their servers well enough to free us from this scourge, but I think we can all envision the HC servers being overrun if you could use your chicken hack to profit off of the HC only goodies.

Keep HC as it should be, about the game and not the items. There may be a place for a purely bragging rights quest (maybe a title beyond Guardian for those who complete an insanely difficult near suicidal task) but even that seems like it might go to far.

Cheers
-Tai